On Saturday, the board of trustees of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) voted to approve the final text of the DSM-5, the next revision to the leading manual for diagnosing mental illness. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which originated in 1952, will be released next May at the APA's annual meeting in San Francisco. The revision process leading to DSM-5 began in 1999, and APA says it consulted more than 1500 experts in 39 countries in updating the criteria for diagnosing hundreds of psychiatric conditions. It has been a bumpy ride.

Controversy has dogged the revision process for years. Even before the first draft of proposed changes was released in 2010, critics alleged that too much of the deliberation was conducted in secret and that too many of those involved had ties to drug companies that stood to benefit from changes to diagnostic criteria—APA has repeatedly rejected these charges.

APA, however, has recently backed down from other proposals, including "attenuated psychosis syndrome," a precursor to schizophrenia. The APA work group on psychotic disorders had hoped this diagnosis could help clinicians identify people at risk and intervene before they developed full-blown schizophrenia, but they ultimately abandoned it over concerns that clinicians would be unable to make the diagnosis reliably and consistently.

In a statement, APA President Dilip Jeste acknowledged the challenges the organization had faced in attempting to create a science-based diagnostic manual and the "inevitable disagreements about some of the proposals." Even so, he concluded: "We believe that DSM-5 reflects our best scientific understanding of psychiatric disorders and will optimally serve clinical and public health needs. Our hope is that the DSM-5 will lead to more accurate diagnoses, better access to mental health services, and improved patient outcomes."

I think there’s a thread somewhere in FReeperville regarding the Homosexual groups forcing homosexuality out of the old DSM-III back in the 70’s. It’s a good read. I might sound a lot like cap’n obvious but so many of these psychological descriptors are more political than medical, new age mumbo-jumbo. Forgive, if you know this, signed, an old “shrink”nurse.

15
posted on 12/03/2012 6:09:41 PM PST
by Karliner
( Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:38"...this is the end of the beginning."WC)

Unfortunately there’s a lot of over-diagnosing of ADHD, but that has a lot more to do with the public school systems than psychiatry in general.

My sister originally wanted to be a guidance counselor, but she gave up the idea when she realized that essentially the School District could interfere with things, like forcing rambunctious children to be medicated.

She went to a private practice, and works according to her ethics and never regretted it.

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